A Cambridge Trio
by StarkRogers
Summary: Prequel to Fair Enough. Established Seto&Jou. When Jou returns home from a business trip he is surprised to find Seto humming and eager to hug his daughter.


**Good Afternoon Readers, this story was requested by a guest and so to appease my readers here is another tale. This story is the prequel to Fair Enough so this should offer some back ground information and other fun little details about our favorite couple's lives. Enjoy and review!**

**Disclaimer: All rights and contents belong respectfully to they're owners and creators. **

Seto hummed as he put the ingredients together for his tuna wrap. Actual humming. Jou watched in quiet disbelief. He was currently leaning against the door frame to their modest kitchen. Some how finding the will power to stay quiet. He had convinced Seto to downsize when they moved to the U.S. a couple years back. Mokuba was heading the Keiba Corp. branch in New York and since the older Keiba wanted to expand to Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles, they had decided it best that they relocate to the states. This made traveling less extensive, expensive and time consuming not to mention that it gave Josie a more stable foundation. She was to young to remember Japan and was now starting her second year of preschool.

Jou smiled as he thought about all that had changed since moving to Boston. He loved being back in America not having visited since he was a small child. Seto had given him the option of choosing to move back to Brooklyn but Jou was more than happy to follow him to the city of his choice. So Boston it was. They had a beautiful house in Cambridge that wasn't to over the top but was still "fit for a Keiba" as his husband had so eloquently put it. The house was currently stuffed like a turkey with pumpkins, bats and multi-colored leaves. Though they as a couple didn't see the need to participate in many of America's customs, it was important to them as fathers to give Josie the full experience. This was going to be the home she knew and identified with and Jou didn't want her to miss out or feel left out in any way. Besides, between Seto, himself and all of Josie's extended aunts and uncles (the geek family as again referred to by his husband) she would never doubt her Japanese heritage. Jou smiled as he shifted slightly against the door frame. It was then that Seto finally looked up and jumped about four feet into the air.

"You're home." Seto mumbled as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

"It would appear so. Are you going to come give me a kiss or you just going to stand there? I mean, I have a suitcase I could go take care of if you need a minute to process or I could surprise Josie by picking her up from school. I'm sure she would have a much better reaction than that of a fish." Jou laughed slightly as Seto shook himself out of his stupor and made his way around the island to kiss his husband.

After a moment Seto pulled back to return to his sandwich. "I think picking up Josie is a good idea. I'll call Aleksandra and let her know that she's of the hook for the afternoon. How was your trip?" Seto threw Jou a can from the refrigerator before sitting at the island to enjoy his lunch, "Have you eaten?"

"Yeah I grabbed something on my way from the airport. The trip was good. Being asked to guest judge was cool enough let alone meeting all the chefs." After settling in Cambridge, Jou had opened his own restaurant in the city and taught a couple advanced courses at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. His popularity was high but he rarely had time to venture out of his circle. So when the offer had come to guest judge on Iron Chef he took it. "I don't think I'll be leaving again any time soon. I've been gone for a week and you'd think the world had ended." He had received a total of 20 phone calls over the course of seven days from his manager with one catastrophe or another.

Since Jou had been named after his mother, it didn't take him long to memorialize his father after buying the restaurant. _Wheeler's_ was slowly climbing the ranks to be one of the most sought after restaurants in the country.

"Now who is the pot calling the kettle black? How many times have I complained about my own company?" Seto looked Jou right in the eye begging for a response.

"Touché. However, I'm nice, unlike you and had hoped that by being understanding people would be more apt to get they're jobs done right. But alas husband of mine, we don't always get what we want." Jou smiled as he leaned over the island and kissed Seto softly before jumping up to grab his coat. "Come on handsome! Let's go grab Josie, pick up a few apple ciders and feed the ducks in the park."

Seto responded quickly. Putting away everything from his lunch and grabbing his own coat off the wall, the two men made they're way out through the kitchen patio door and towards the garage hand in hand.

Jou and Seto stood against the wall of the school. Their fingers were entwined but other than that both men were in they're own worlds. Seto had his nose in a book while Jou spoke with a few of the other parents. Children too young for school ran in-between their legs and across the playground before doubling back around. Jou enjoyed the sounds of laughter and conversation in the afternoons. Regularly, Seto would drop Josie off at school on his way to work while Aleksandra picked her up Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Jou always tried to be there Tuesdays and Fridays but since he worked in Cambridge and Josie's preschool was on Beacon Hill, the commute sometimes got in his way. When this happened, Seto would grab her on his lunch break and take her back to Kaiba Corp. until Jou could pick her up.

They were so thankful for Aleksandra but they didn't want to exhaust the au pair or relay on her to raise they're daughter. That had been a constant fight between Seto and Jou for many months before Josie had been born. Seto wanted a full time nanny who could focus on Josie while Jou and himself pursued their careers. Jou wanted none of it. He insisted that he was willing to put off working until Josie was old enough to go to school and even then he would make sure his schedule was built around the schools. As a means of compromising, they had agreed that an au pair was a good middle ground. They had the available space to offer someone their own little apartment, a reasonable salary (in addition to their organizations requirement) and the freedom to come and go and do with their apartment what they wished and in exchange they would be flexible with Seto and Jou's sometimes crazy schedules. Aleksandra was a perfect fit. She was optimistic, intelligent and silly. More importantly she was self empowered and didn't allow herself to be intimidated by the Kaibas'. They had welcomed her into their home a year and a half ago and had no intention of letting her go.

Just then the bell sounded through the small playground and the children began to file out. Jou let go of Seto's hand so he could walk around the other parents and hopefully find his daughter before she had the chance to see him. He was in luck. Josie was talking a mile a minute to her friend Emily's mom about something that had happened that day on the playground. Mrs. Campton looked up from Josie just long enough to see Jou putting a finger to his lips. She winked to show her understanding before looking back down at Josie

"We'll have to plan a play date soon then, Josie." Josie's face lit up as she grabbed Emily's hand in excitement, "Do you think your dad's would be ok with us meeting up at the common on Friday?" Before the little girl could answer a very familiar voice spoke up from behind her, "I think that can be arranged." "Daddy!" Josie screamed as she turned around and threw herself at her father. Jou dropped to his knees to hug his little girl and didn't stand until he felt Seto's hand on his shoulder.

"Good Afternoon, Mrs. Campton." Seto greeted as he laced his fingers back with Jou's.

"Good Afternoon. Mr. Kaiba. I was just asking Josie if she thought we could all get together after school on Friday. What do you think?" The woman drew her hand back from the friendly handshake she and Seto had just shared.

"I don't see why not." Josie gave a whoop of excitement before taking a hand from each of her dad's. After saying their goodbyes, the trio made they're way over the hill and towards the public garden. The constant chatter of an excited four year old the only sound between them.


End file.
